


being with you

by ElectricDove



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Affection, Fluff, Intimacy, Late Night at the Office, M/M, Secret nap loft, Sleepy Boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 07:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17096738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricDove/pseuds/ElectricDove
Summary: This is my Mythical Secret Santa gift for greenyjess (on tumblr).Hope you enjoy this super soft, super warm and super self indulging fic.Happy Holidays!





	being with you

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Mythical Secret Santa gift for greenyjess (on tumblr).
> 
> Hope you enjoy this super soft, super warm and super self indulging fic.  
> Happy Holidays!

The office is dark and quiet, Thursday nights reserved for the both of them working late as usual.   
Rhett wanders to the kitchen, empty tea mug and accompanying coffee mug in his hands. He feels at peace, almost at home now that the place is deserted and not crawling with crewmembers. 

Having so many people working with them feels like a blessing and a burden all at the same time. He knows they do good work. They come up with a lot of content and do a lot of the ground work so he and Link have the time to get down to business. But sometimes Rhett thinks wistfully of the days when it was just the two of them, working so hard to come up with new ideas in his brightly lit green basement.

Thursday nights feel a bit like these old times.

The upgrade in their kitchen doesn’t come with wistful feelings though. Dimmed lights reflect on stylish tilework and chrome appliances. The big fridge holds enough to feed himself and many others. Rhett hums to himself as he makes a mental note to check later if Josh has left him some of the turkey leftovers.

 

Stevie was the last one to bid them a cheery farewell, her bag slung over her shoulder as she saluted Rhett through the inside window to their office. Link was too invested in his current reading material, eyes glued to the screen and brow furrowed, to notice Stevie or even Rhett as he went to refresh their beverages.    
Rhett doesn’t mind, he knows how focused Link gets around work and how it’s not a reflection of his feelings towards the people around him. Link knows how to work hard, maybe even more so than himself.   
The quiet does begin to feel a bit unnatural without Link around. Their kitchen is build for so many people that it feels a bit too big. As he waits for the coffee maker to warm up, a soft hissing from the machine accompanies Rhett’s humming.

The wish for Link to be there with him in that simple moment is as instantaneous as it is familiar.

Rhett knows it should probably bother him, his codependency on Link and their bond, but it doesn’t.   
It did bother his younger self a lot, made him more harsh with Link than he probably deserved and made him keep an artificial distance between them even when he felt he wanted to get closer. 

Especially when he wanted to get closer.

Rhett counts it as a huge win for his present self that he managed to overcome his own prejudice and inability to act beyond it. It had taken a lot of counselling, full support from the important people in his life, some ungentle coaxing and teasing from Link.  
Now Rhett just feels thankful for the place he is in, thankful for the way he can recognize and categorize his feelings regarding his best friend and business partner, thankful for the rush of warmth whenever he thinks if Link and how he knows they make each other better. 

Waiting for coffee and tea would be better if Link was there with him, Rhett can accept that. Especially to himself in their empty office kitchen on a quiet Thursday night.

 

He doesn’t hear the not-so-quiet footsteps around the corner, nor the near stumble in the trash bag just outside the kitchen, so Link’s presence right beside him feels like a physical manifestation of his wish. 

“Missed you, man. Office felt weird without you, too quiet.”    
Link yawns, positioning himself on the counter next to Rhett. His knee brushes up against Rhett’s arm as Link softly sways his legs. 

Rhett smiles at the man beside him, happy Link’s thoughts apparently went the same way as his own. He goes on to think about the possibilities if wishes worked that way, just think about him often enough and Link just appears out of thin air. Link would probably be pissed off about getting wrenched away from work, or sleep, just to be next to Rhett. Rhett’s smile grows a little wider as he imagines Link annoyed, yelling at him “Not again, damn you Rhett!” as he’s teleported once again at Rhett’s wish.

 

“What are you smiling at?” Link asks him, even as he seemingly on instinct mirrors Rhett’s smile.

Rhett just shakes his head, ridding himself off the imaginations of his tired brain. He busies himself with operating the coffee machine, pouring Link a cup before handing it to him. His own tea is quick to make, steaming in his hand, before he looks over at Link again.

He knows better than to squirm under the attention Link gives him now, regarding him with bright eyes and a lingering smile. Instead Rhett squints as he takes a sip of his tea, which is still too hot to actually enjoy but he toughs through it. 

The grin he gets tells him he isn’t as good at fooling Link as he wishes he was. 

 

Link’s shoulder bumps into his arm as they walk back to their office space. Rhett makes sure to stay a little to his left, enjoying the point of contact as he always does. Link keeps up his side of the conversation, talking about this and that as he easily drives away the quiet in the empty hallway. His partner seems content with Rhett’s answering hums and the soft snort he gives at one of Link’s jokes. 

It’s a short distance to the office, but walking there leisurely with Link at his side feels good. Rhett lets the comfort of it wash over him. Suddenly he feels the tiredness behind his eyes, the pressure of work loosening its noose around his neck and he feels able to breathe deeply for the first time today. Link’s sole presence still does its magic on him it seems.

This time when Link stumbles on something unseen in the shadows Rhett is there beside him, catching his arm and steadying him before he spills his half full cup of coffee. Rhett’s teasing smile feels as familiar and old married couple like as Link’s answering eye roll does. Rhett doesn’t even think about how this used to bother him.

His cup of tea is no longer scalding hot as he sits down on their leather couch, downed in three big gulps and engulfing him with more warmth and drowsiness. Rhett feels ready to shut his eyes for a bit and let the world go on without him for a little while.    
Before he can heave himself up from the well-worn couch, get back to his desk with a deep sigh, and work the night away, Link steps in between the deep V of his long legs and stills Rhett’s movements. His cup of coffee is nowhere to be seen, growing cold and forgotten on a surface more likely than emptied of its contents. 

Link looks at him with tired, soft eyes. Rhett can clearly see the fatigue on his friend’s face, feels the echo of it in himself, the remnants of a long day at the office set over the lines on his skin that came with hard work over the course of long years.  
He already knows what the next words out of Link’s mouth will be, so Rhett listens to them with a soft smile tugging at his lips.

“Time for a nap in the loft, old man. We can work some more after that.” Link holds his hand out to him but Rhett still has some trouble getting up gracefully. He definitely feels like an old man. As he follows Link up the steps Rhett tries to come up with the last time he could stand up without groaning and fails to come up with a clear memory. It’s no use asking Link, he knows, if he doesn’t want an entire evening of old fart jokes ahead at him.

 

****

 

Up in the loft Link doesn’t waste his time standing around anymore, he’s tired and just wants a nap until this day is done. Or at least for 30 minutes or so, since they probably shouldn’t waste their entire work night away for a good snore.   
With early morning meetings, a hectic film schedule in the afternoon, and several more meetings in the late afternoon, today has been a lot. 

“It feels like this day has been going on forever. I’m done with it!” He says while taking off his jacket, for once not caring much where it lands as he drops it somewhere on the wooden floor. Link knows the loft is clean and well-kept, since it’s their private domain.

Flipping the light switch for the small bedside lamp, illuminating the small but cozy place, Link bends down on the wide daybed. He debates for a second the merits of just falling face down into the soft cushions, already sinking into their comforting softness before flipping over at the last moment so he can get his shoes off and make himself really comfortable.  
Distracting himself with setting an alarm, Link’s gaze gets drawn back to Rhett.

Rhett has kept his place near the entrance to their loft, the light from the downstairs office giving him some dramatic backlighting which Link surely could appreciate more if he wasn’t so damn tired. This feels warm and comfortable, his eyes falling shut on their own volition. He probably should have drank some more of that coffee, but Link figures a power nap is probably more effective for their productivity than caffeine-induced jitters.

“What you waiting for, Rhett? Gonna stand there the whole time, watching me napping?” Link chuckles. “That’s kinda weird, even for you, man.”

Rhett has been quiet and thoughtful, not talking much since Link picked him up in the kitchen. Opening just one eye is hard, harder than it should be at 6:30 in the evening at least. Still, Link fights through the fatigue swiftly dragging him down into the cushions and opens an eye to see Rhett still standing in the same spot, watching him with a pensive look on his face. He doesn’t look like he’s been listening, which might have offended Link. If he had the energy to even get offended at Rhett right now.

“You okay there, Rhett?” Link asks softly. It’s not his usual tone of voice, nor the one he uses while he’s entertaining people on and off the internet. This is the inflection he uses only when he’s talking to Rhett in private, just the two of them together. Link knows Rhett has the same distinction for him. If Rhett ever wants to speak to him again tonight, at least.

“You haven’t spoken a word to me yet. You mad at me? Do I have to worry, brother?” 

There isn’t any real worry in his voice, but Link still feels a tiny string of insecurity creep through his chest as he speaks.

  
This wakes up Rhett from his absent state of mind, breaking the spell and spurring him into action. His slip-on shoes are toed off, the sweatshirt ditched in favor of the soft shirt he wears underneath. Rhett looks comfortable and positively disheveled as he approaches Link on the daybed. The moment he takes to obviously appreciate the sight of Link sprawled out before him secures the warmth in Link’s chest and locks away the more fragile feelings where they belong.

Rhett’s soft voice washes over him from above. “Just thinking about how good you look in here, man. I’m never mad at ya.”

As Link opens his eyes to squint at him with a disbelieving frown, Rhett concedes with a sigh. “Don’t be contrary man, I’m tired.”  
Closing his eyes again, Link lets the first half of Rhett’s statement roll through his mind, appreciating the compliment and takes a moment to enjoy the affection he feels for the big man. Like always, it feels good to be around Rhett.

 

Earlier that evening he’d looked up from his laptop to notice Rhett wasn’t in the office with him anymore, the half-formed question Link had wanted to ask dying on his lips. 

Knowing Rhett would probably return to their workspace within a few moments, most likely with his refilled coffee cup, Link had thought about returning to his reading material.    
Instead he’d felt compelled to get up and find Rhett. 

Link was never one to think twice about his instincts, no matter how many times they failed him. His instincts that led him to stay close to Rhett had never failed him.

 

With his eyes still closed Link scoots over to the side to make room for Rhett. He’s almost sure he hears something like “Make room for the big man.” muttered, but he knows it's a knee jerk reaction from Rhett by now. Ignoring it like always, Link just gets comfortable and lets Rhett slide right up to him, shoulder to shoulder.  
There’s enough space for them to lay down comfortably, but instead they choose to share the space they like to occupy.

It takes a moment for Rhett to get comfortable as well. He arranges the pillows beneath his head and shuffles around until his entire side is pressed up against Link. There Rhett seems to settle and the deep sigh that escapes from him reverberates in a gentle way through Link, calming him even further. Just a couple of breaths away from sleep.  
Rhett’s eyes are on him, Link can feel them taking in his face from a foot away. Instead of making him feel uncomfortable or weird, like he’d mock-scolded Rhett earlier, Link feels warm and safe.  
He only opens his eyes when he feels Rhett taking off his glasses with one awkwardly bend arm. It’s a familiar act. Link knows he’s been falling asleep with his glasses on since he got them. And every time he wakes up after a power nap at the office, his glasses are neatly folded beside him within easy reaching distance. Link still relishes in the intimacy of the gesture.

The hand that gently clasps his own is a bit too sweaty to be really pleasant, but it’s familiar as well.

Even after years spent together, always close together and the more recent ones filled with warm moments like these, Link’s heart still gives a little flutter when Rhett looks at him with his guard down. He sees Rhett’s face a little blurry without his glasses on, but it doesn’t matter because the affection  is communicated so clearly Link could tell from a mile away that Rhett loves him. Just like he loves Rhett.

Link hopes his own expression is just as open and explicit.   
But just in case if there’s any doubt in Rhett’s mind, Link leans up a little and bends over to kiss him softly.

They’re both tired and worn out after their day, content to share the closeness and the contact for now. There are no racing hearts, no wandering hands, not at this moment anyway. There’s always time for more later. They’re not going anywhere.   
Right now Link presses a small kiss on Rhett’s bottom lip and slides back down into the cushions, flipping around onto his good shoulder. He trusts Rhett to turn off the light, not caring about it too much as he’s quickly back on track again to a good nap. The kiss Rhett presses into his neck, just below his hairline keeps him awake a little longer. Because of it Link hears the words Rhett whispers to him.

“I’m glad you’re here with me.”

Link smiles at the sentiment, feels it mirrored inside of him. It swirls around warmly, spilling from his own lips in softly mumbled words.

“Love you too, Rhett.”

Link figures Rhett understands him as he presses up against his back, breathes deeply in Link’s hair and presses another kiss there.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm really grateful the Secret Santa exchange helped me to start writing again. It's been too long I even tried to write, even longer since I actually enjoyed writing something. So yaay!
> 
> A big thank you to Sarah, for her help and her sweet motivating words! It's great to have a good friend like you.


End file.
